Pokémon X & Y did a lot of things to help make the whole process of getting competitive Pokémon much easier and more streamlined, which means EV Training in X & Y is pretty straightforward.
Super Training is an option available on the PSS, which puts the whole process of EV Training into a minigame. It may seem like a good way to EV Train, but it’s far from the best way and goes quite slow in comparison to another newly-added feature that speeds up EV Training.
The thing that makes EV Training extremely fast in the Generation VI games is Horde Battles. In Horde Battles, you fight 5 wild Pokémon at once. Attacks that damage multiple Pokémon, like Surf, Earthquake, etc., will hit every Pokémon in a Horde Battle. You need a Pokémon in your party with Sweet Scent (Illumise, Weepinbell, and Masquerain are some examples of Pokémon that can learn it) and then you can use it as a field move from the party menu while standing in tall grass or in a cave to immediately summon a Horde Battle.
In addition to that, thanks to the changes of the Exp. Share, you no longer need to choose between the Exp. Share and the Macho Brace or a Power Item, meaning you can have one high-level lead Pokémon that can EV Train all of the other Pokémon on your team without having to switch back and forth. Because of this, you’ll want a strong Pokémon with a multi-target move and then you’ll want the Pokémon you’re EV Training to hold a Power Item for the stat you’re EV Training or a Macho Brace.
Power Items particularly shine here, because they will give +4 to the EV gains for each Pokémon in the Horde Battle, which can then further be doubled if the Pokémon has the Pokérus. That means each Horde Battle against five Pokémon that give 1 EV each results in an astonishing 50 EVs gained with both a Power Item and the Pokérus.
EV Training Spots
There are often several different Horde Battles that you can fight to get the same EVs you’re looking for, but since they’re all only 60% encounters, that usually means 40% of the time you’ll run into something you need to run away from. However, farming Horde Battles is also an excellent way to hunt for Shiny Pokémon, so when trying to decide on a location, take a look at the other Horde Battles in the area to see if there are any that are appealing to you as a Shiny, because you then have a very small chance at encountering one that is.
HP
- Whismur Hordes (Connecting Cave — 60%) give 1 HP EV per Whismur. There’s also a 30% chance of encountering Whismur normally for smaller HP EV yields. Other Hordes in the area are Zubat (35%) and Axew (5%).
- Gulpin Hordes (Route 6 — 60%) give 1 HP EV per Gulpin. Other Hordes in the area are Plusle×4, Minun×1 (5% in X) / Minun×4, Plusle×1 (5% in Y) and Scraggy (35%).
- Foongus Hordes (Route 20 — 60%) give 1 HP EV per Foongus. Other Hordes in the area are Trevenant×5 (35%) and Trevenant×4, Sudowoodo×1 (5%).
Attack
- Weepinbell Hordes (Route 20 — 60%) give 2 Attack EVs per Weepinbell. Other Hordes in the area are Gligar (35%) and Arbok (5%). Arbok also gives 2 Attack EVs per Arbok.
- Bellsprout Hordes (Route 14 — 60%) give 1 Attack EV per Bellsprout. Other Hordes in the area are Skorupi (35%) and Ekans (5%). Ekans also gives 1 Attack EV per Ekans.
Defense
- Durant Hordes (Terminus Cave — 60%) give 2 Defense EVs per Durant. Other Hordes in the area are Geodude (35%) and Aron (5% in X) / Larvitar (5% in Y). Geodude and Aron both give 1 Defense EV each, though both Pokémon may have Sturdy, slowing the process down.
- Nosepass Hordes (Route 10 — 60%) give 1 Defense EV per Nosepass and are only recommended if you are not able to take down the Durant Hordes due to Nosepass potentially having Sturdy. Other Hordes in the area are Yanma (35%) and Houndour (5% in X) / Electrike (5% in Y).
Special Attack
- Vanillite Hordes (Frost Cavern — 60%) give 1 Special Attack EV per Vanillite. Other Hordes in the area are Cubchoo (35%) and Smoochum (5%). Smoochum also gives 1 Special Attack EV per Smoochum.
- Spinda Hordes (Route 21 — 60%) give 1 Special Attack EV per Spinda. Other Hordes in the area are Swablu (35%) and Scyther (5%).
Special Defense
- Hoppip Hordes (Route 7 — 60%) give 1 Special Defense EV per Hoppip. Other Hordes in the area are Psyduck (35%) and Roselia (5%).
- Mime Jr. Hordes (Reflection Cave — 60%) give 1 Special Defense EV per Mime Jr. Other Hordes in the area are Roggenrola×5 (35%) and Roggenrola×4, Carbink×1 (5%).
Speed
- Wingull Hordes give 1 Speed EV per Wingull. There are several areas you can get Wingull Hordes in, with all of them having a 60% chance of finding Wingull and then offering a different selection of other Pokémon.
- Route 8 is the most ideal, with a 35% chance of encountering a Zangoose×4, Seviper×1 (X only) / Seviper×4, Zangoose×1 (Y only) Horde, but then a 5% chance of a Taillow Horde, which gives 1 Speed EV per Taillow, making Route 8 slightly more desirable.
- Route 12 has a 35% chance of a Mareep Horde and a 5% chance of a Tauros×4, Miltank×1 Horde.
- Azure Bay has a 35% chance of a Slowpoke Horde and a 5% chance of an Exeggcute Horde.
- Murkrow Hordes (Routes 15 & 16 — 60%) give 1 Speed EV per Murkrow. Other Hordes in the area are Foongus (35%) and Klefki (5%).
How Many EVs You’ll Actually Gain
It’s important to keep in mind that all of the numbers listed above for how many EVs each Pokémon give are their base yield, so that’s before any multipliers or bonuses. The actual number you’ll get should be much higher than that.
Here’s a little cheatsheet for how much EVs you’ll gain (the base EV yield is the number you see listed in the encounters):
- If you have no Macho Brace, Power Item, or Pokérus…
- If the Pokémon’s base EV yield is 1, you’ll get 1 EV each, or 5 EVs per Horde Battle.
- If the Pokémon’s base EV yield is 2, you’ll get 2 EVs each, or 10 EVs per Horde Battle.
- If the Pokémon’s base EV yield is 3, you’ll get 3 EVs each. (There are no Horde Battles for 3 EV Pokémon — only Trainers will have these.)
- If you have the Macho Brace but no Pokérus or the Pokérus but no Macho Brace…
- If the Pokémon’s base EV yield is 1, you’ll get 2 EVs each, or 10 EVs per Horde Battle.
- If the Pokémon’s base EV yield is 2, you’ll get 4 EVs each, or 20 EVs per Horde Battle.
- If the Pokémon’s base EV yield is 3, you’ll get 6 EVs each.
- If you have the Macho Brace and the Pokérus…
- If the Pokémon’s base EV yield is 1, you’ll get 4 EVs each, or 20 EVs per Horde Battle.
- If the Pokémon’s base EV yield is 2, you’ll get 8 EVs each, or 40 EVs per Horde Battle.
- If the Pokémon’s base EV yield is 3, you’ll get 12 EVs each.
- If you have a Power Item but no Pokérus…
- If the Pokémon’s base EV yield is 1, you’ll get 5 EVs each, or 25 EVs per Horde Battle.
- If the Pokémon’s base EV yield is 2, you’ll get 6 EVs each, or 30 EVs per Horde Battle.
- If the Pokémon’s base EV yield is 3, you’ll get 7 EVs each.
- If you have a Power Item and the Pokérus…
- If the Pokémon’s base EV yield is 1, you’ll get 10 EVs each, or 50 EVs per Horde Battle.
- If the Pokémon’s base EV yield is 2, you’ll get 12 EVs each, or 60 EVs per Horde Battle.
- If the Pokémon’s base EV yield is 3, you’ll get 14 EVs each.